San Francisco dramatic review (1899)

2 THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW April 10, 1909 LaFemmeX,The Dramatic Sensation Reports from abroad say that Henry W. Savage will produce in London La Femme X, Bisson's powerful French play, before it is seen in New York. It is also reported that Mr. Savage has engaged Mrs. Patrick Campbell for the title role. La Femme X is the dramatic sensation of the year at the Porte St. Martin Theatre in Paris, and, strangely enough, has duplicated its success in Berlin. Americans returning from the continent predict that La Femme X will be another sensation when it reaches this country. It has furnished Mme. Jane Hading perhaps her greatest emotional part and one in which she is thrilling her audiences as no other continental actress is able to do. Her powerful portrayal of the leading role is described as being so realistic that it caused a tragic interruption of the drama at a recent matinee performance. A man of 74, named Letang, sitting in the third row of the stalls, suddenly sprang to his feet. He was very much excited by the play and shouted to the judge in the trial scene that the prisoner (Mme. Jane Hading) was fainting and ought to be allowed to leave the court. "You are torturing an unfortunate woman," he shouted, and as he said the words he broke a blood vessel and fell dead in the theatre. The trial scene is near the close of the play, and is the sensational scene that has given the play so much free advertising. Any actress playing Le Femme X has her work cut out for her. At one part of the play Madame X. is a beautiful young woman of twenty, but shortly thereafter she must appear a woman of forty-five, able to picture the tragic agonies of a lifetime, all within the brief space of a few minutes. Mr. Savage has not announced w,ho will play the part in America. dating manager, determined to humor Primrose, and arrangements for a parade were immediately put into execution. At 11 :45 the following morning a. brass band, several carriages, a tally-ho. two billposters' wagons and the entire staff of the Orpheum stood in front of the theatre, awaiting Primrose's pleasure. The line of march included the principal business streets. Primrose and Beehlec were at the head of the procession, and when they returned to the ( )rpheum, weary and footsore, for the matinee performance, Primrose declared that he had not so thoroughly enjoyed himself since the day he heard that Jim Decker had fallen from the roof of the Flat Iron I hiildinar." Primrose Can't Lose The Habit Here's a "P. A." yarn which has come out of Sioux City, la., via the offices of the Orpheum New York publicity bureau. It has to do with the old-time minstrel man's penchant for a morning parade and concerns most intimately, George Primrose. Whether it's the "real truth" or not, it's funny, and if "real" will serve to warn local vaudeville managers what they may expect when the redoubtable Primrose makes his appearances "You can't teach an old dog new tricks, and you can't convince George Primrose that a daily parade at 1 1 45 is not essential to the proper artistic development of any highbrow actor. For nearly a half century Primrose has so arranged his engagements that he might step into line in front of the locjil op'ry house or principal hotel and make a tour of the factories within the town limits. Since his entrance int^) vaudeville the veteran minstrel has missed this daily stimulant. In Sidux City last week he complained bitterly to David Beehler, the resident manager of the Orpheum Theatre, and teaKully announced that without a parade he was afraid he must abandon his tour. Beehler, being an accommo J. J. Shubert Coming and Sensational Papers Predict Big Theatrical War J. J. Shubert arrived in Los Angeles last week in his private car, and his utterances given to the newspaper writers offer some reason to fear a bitter contest for the booking business of the West. Mr. Shubert says he will have houses in Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Victoria and Butte, and that he has secured the American Theatre in this city. The last statement Manager Abe Cohn denies most emphatically. To the editor of The Dramatic REVIEW Mr. Cohn, who only returned from New York a few days ago, said that Mr. Shubert did not have the American, but that he would have a theatre in San Francisco. Furthermore, the Shuberts had asked for his house and had announced they had $20,000,000 to put up a fight in the West in opposition to the Klaw & Erlanger interests. However, Mr. Cohn said his house would book the syndicate shows next season, through John Cort as usual. Mr. Cohn admitted he had plans for a new theatre all ready and a site practically settled upon. Next week the Dramatic Review will have the full import of Mr. Shuhert's visit here. Gertie Hayes Hoffman's Brother a Public Charge John K. Hays, a consumptive patient at the County Hospital, who, as told in The Bee last night, is a brother of the famous Salome dancer, Gertrude Hoffman, and who was lately discovered in his present plight by his mother, who has promised to aid him to get to Arizona, has taken occasion to deny the statements he made in an interview yesterday to a Bee reporter. His remarks during the interview were decidedly sensational. In the presence of Steward Weikel and a number of patients Hay gave the following running, disconnected interview in part: "I want to go to Arizona. It is merely a misunderstanding with my family, that is all. There isn't any story in it. It is merely a family trouble. The trouble arose with my brother-in-law, Max Hoffman. We cannot agree. He married my sister, Gertrude Hoffman, the Salome dancer. You know her. She was barred from dancing in Kansas City and is playing to packed houses. Her husband is musical director of the 'Mimic The Correct Clothes Shop Here wp are comfortably located at No. 57 POWELL STREET, opposite the Flood Building:, In a neat cosy little shop, dedicated to you boys who want to be dressed right and reasonably. That Is why we've chosen a modest location, Where the landlord dofsn't get all the profits. "But we've got the goods" — and welcome you. Very cordially, Chas. S. Rosener CLOTHIER TO THE PROFESSION No. 57 Powell Street Formerly Van Ness and Eddy World.' They get big salaries. I think he has intercepted my letters to my sister. From her replies she doesn't know anything about my condition. She doesn't seem to have received any of my letters, and I can't explain her action other than that her husband is interfering with the mail. Don't say anything about that, because it might complicate matters in my getting some money to go to Arizona with. I don't want anything said about Hoffman in the papers. My mother lives with my sister, but there was the misunderstanding with her. I want to get enough money to take me to Arizona. My lungs are affected, and I tli ink I could get well if I reached Arizona. I am doing as well as I could here, but want to get away as soon as possible. As soon as my mother hears about my condition I think I will receive the money. Be sure and say nothing about Hoffman taking my letters, for I don't want anything to happen that I won't get this money and get away to Arizona." When seen at the hospital today Hays admitted that the story as printed in The Bee last night was correct. He had come downtown in the evening, some one had joshed him about it, he had taken a' few drinks and then taken it into his head to deny it. Stewart Weikel was also willing to testify that Hays was correctly quoted by The Bee. — Sacratnento Bee'. ersonals Martin Free is ahead of Rlack 1'atti this season. Mr. Free is one of the firm of Free & Myers, intrepid souls, who tried to star Billy Kersands last season. Mrs. Lester Wai.i.ack, widow of John Lester Wallack, the famous actor, died in New York on March 28, aged 84 years. Mrs. Wallack was a daughter of John W. Millais of Fngland. When Daniel Sully opened a telegram March 28 at the American Theatre he thought it was from his wife in Woodstock, N. Y. It was a message announcing the death of his mother in Newport, R. I. He did not even know that she had been sick, and smiled as he tore the envelope open. Sunday was the occasion of his silver wedding anniversary, and he thought the wire was a message of good cheer and love from his partner of twentyfive years. Manager W. D. Reed broke a rule when he gave him the message, but he knew of the anniversary date and thought the contents of that envelope would cheer his star's heart. So he gave it to him in the middle of the second act, within a few minutes of the time when Sully had tq take his cue and go on again as the jovial-hearted priest. Mr. Sully went on and played, though his associates' observed that the tears which som|! of the scenes demand were real that afternoon. En Tour-20-AU Star Colored Artists-20 Something New and Novel In the Musical Comedy A Trip to Africa!! F™T and Singing and Dancing urious Galore Grand Street Parade by Uniformed Brass Band of 12 Pieces and Entire Company Address all communications JOHNNY WILLIAMS, as per route. 0 B 19 IB £B Bl wiPT n r a n huhbi 3 Hotel St. James Cor. Van Ness Ave. and Fulton St. San Francisco, California Headquarters for Agents and Managers Half Block from Van Ness Theatre. Friars meet at the St. James every Friday night. F. P. SHANLEY, Manager, formerly of New York